New cartridges seem to contain slightly more toner, and they do not void the warranty on your printer. However, thay are expensive! Depending on the model, a new toner cartridge for most Hewlett Packard and Lexmark laser printer can cost anywhere from about $100.00 to over $500.00.

Buying a remanufactured cartridge is not a gamble if you purchase from a reliable source. The key is in the terms they use. Refilled and refurbished are not the same as remanufactured. A refilled cartridge is just that - it has been filled with toner powder, put in a bag or a box and sent out for sale. A refurbished cartridge has probably been cleaned up, and had any remaining toner removed before being filled again for sale. A remanufactured cartridge has usually been disassembled and inspected and has any worn internal parts repaired or replaced. It is then filled with new toner and released for sale. If the returned cartridge is in poor condition, it is discarded.

It is important to deal with a supplier that provides a warranty of at least 6 months from the date of remanufacture. Some warrant the cartridge for a year. If it fails at any time during the warranty period it should be repaired, replaced or refunded (ususally at the suppier’s discretion). One supplier even warrants that the cartridge will not damage your printer and if damage occurs during the manufacturer’s warranty period and the cartridge is deeded to be at fault, they will repair or replace the damaged part at no charge.

When comparing the performance of new vs remanufactured cartridges, it is important to compare them fairly. Some printers use two different sizes of cartridge (regular and high yield). If you think the remanufactureed one is not giving the same page output as the new one that you bought, check to make sure you are comparing apples with apples. A good quality remanufactured cartridge will print a comparable number of pages as a new one. Pages are counted at 5% coverage. That is the coverage of a page of text - about 5% of the page has been covered by the toner. If you use graphics or lots of large and bold fonts, your page count will decrease.

A final point to consider is that when you purchase remanufactured cartridges, a large amount of plastic is being kept out of the landfill sites.

At APEX we can provide new cartridges for all makes of printer and we can provide top quality remanufactured ones for HP and Lexmark printers from a supplier right here on Vancouver Island.